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Fulton County Senior Services to Host Forum Focusing on Elder Abuse and Scams

Fulton County Senior Services to Host Forum Focusing on Elder Abuse and Scams

Fulton County Senior Services to Host Forum Focusing on Elder Abuse and Scams

November 05, 2019

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The Dorothy C Benson Senior Multipurpose facility wants the community to recognize warning signs of elder abuse and potential scams that target seniors. The facility will host a forum on November 8, 2019 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Participating county and state officials include Fulton County District 2 Commissioner Bob Ellis, State Representative Deborah Silcox, Fulton County Deputy Chief Solicitor General Kenya M. Johnson, Fulton County Deputy Assistant Solicitor General Don Henderson, and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr.

The Atlanta Regional Commission and the Georgia Department of Human Services/ Aging Division consider elder abuse to be one of the “most under-reported crimes in the nation. Citing data from the National Council on Elder abuse, the Georgia Council on Aging says, “Every year an estimated 5 million, or 1 in 10, older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. And that's only part of the picture: Experts believe that for every case of elder abuse or neglect reported, as many as 23.5 cases go unreported.”

The conversation will focus on the potential for older adults to suffer physical violence, emotional abuse, neglect and financial exploitation from those they know and trust. Warning signs can include unexplained bruises, lack of medical care, malnutrition or dehydration, unexplained changes of alertness and sudden changes in finances and accounts. Elder abuse is not limited to any particular cultural, social or economic group, and can occur in the home, nursing facilities or other institutions.